Mod revival

Mod gone wrong

I’m usually way behind the fashion curve. Is Mod style back in vogue? I couldn’t help but notice it got
a big nod in the January issues of Matchbook and Lonny. So, I
decided to do some digging.First stop, wwd.com. Headline: “One
of the biggest (spring 2013) runway trends was an ode to Sixties Mod with bold,
graphic patterns and retro shapes.” Was I right, or was I right? I'll leave the
spring lines to someone who knows something about fashion like Slim Paley
(love her blog!) and focus on Mod history.The Mod movement
short for ‘modernist’ that originated in 1960's London was not just a
fashion or a type of pop music but a lifestyle. The movement eventually made
its way around to America, which I'll have to cover in a later post.Mod style was generally characterized
by very bold and bright fashions. The cuts were usually ultra-short and
sleeveless. Miniskirts, jumpers, shift dresses, patent rain trench coats, patent
leather go-go boots and tights were all the rage.

Mod makeup was huge. Big, dramatic eyes
were the ultimate fashion, day or night. Lips were usually left bare so that all
the focus could be put on them. Layers of black mascara and eyeliner were
applied all the way around the eye for major impact.

Hair was short often bobbed and stick
straight. Thick bangs and pixie cuts were also in.

"King of Carnaby Street" John StephenJohn Stephen was one of the most important male fashion
figures in the 1960's. He was the first to offer clothing to the mass market at
affordable prices. By 1967 he operated a chain of 15 shops in central London.
His stores were frequented by pop stars, which also added to his success. The
Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who and Small faces were all sporting his
clothes.

Once again the fashion industry has gone for the stereotypical image of Mod: peter pan collars and Austin Powers. What they are actually representing is late 60s mainstream fashion which has been put under the label Mod. Which would mean a significant amount of the population was Mod, when it was actually subculture. It's kind of like people in the future seeing how the style of hipsters became mainstream and coming to the conclusion that being a hipster was the main culture among youth at this time, when it's actually a marginal (annoying) part of the population. *sigh* As a Mod girl, I wish the fashion magazines had done more research. There's more to Mod than shift dresses and gogo boots. This is a 60s revival, not a Mod